Leading the charge
Iresen

The Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (Iresen) was founded in 2011 to link the growing renewables industry with R&D.

The government-run Iresen works with universities and funding agencies to match the work being done in academic settings with the needs of the sector. In tandem, the government has reformed the curriculum in science and engineering. “We built up the capacity in the first two years and now we are in a good position,” says Iresen’s CEO, Samir Rachidi.

Many young and highly educated Moroccans are returning from the diaspora in Europe. Similarly, many students from other African nations come to Morocco for its quality universities and vocational training. “It is great to be able to host them,” says Rachidi. “Many of our universities are now training the leaders of Africa.”

Ready to work
The rapidly developing skillset of Morocco’s young workforce is one of its major assets, as is the growing popularity of English as a second language.

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Biofriendly building
Eco-dôme Maroc

New legislation has allowed one structural engineer to navigate red tape with red brick. Now all of Morocco is reaping the benefits.

Two pieces of legislative reform opened the way for structural engineer Youness Ouazri to launch Eco-dôme Maroc, a construction company that uses natural and traditional materials and methods to build homes and public projects. The first was a revision to the earthquake resilience standards in 2011, which allowed historic buildings constructed from mud and adobe to be restored. The second was 2014’s new energy efficiency regulations, part of a drive to make the construction sector more sustainable.

Ouazri’s designs – dome-shaped buildings constructed of earthen materials that were used in Morocco for centuries before the modern era – tick both boxes. “This is bioclimatic architecture,” he says. “You consider how you orientate the buildings, how big the openings are, and the thickness of the walls. In one of our projects in the Atlas mountains, we kept a 15C difference between the inside and outside without using air-conditioning or heating.”

Ouazri launched Eco-dôme Maroc in 2017 and has since completed more than 50 projects across every region of the country, including homes, schools and cultural centres. Authorities and individuals are catching up to the economic benefits of using local raw materials in construction. Three domes that were close to the epicentre of the 2023 earthquake stood firm against the tremors, proving the durability of their design.

Respect for nature
Eco-dôme Maroc showcases Morocco’s earthen construction heritage while adapting it to the modern era and complying with local building regulations.